Example of quiz type 2: simulating group feedback for individuals

An online equivalent of a role-play tutorial exercise was developed by Bev O'Brien, Diana Quinn and Ian Reid, academics at the University of South Australia. The course was “Studies in family” and was co-ordinated by Bev. It is offered in the first year, second semester of the Social Work degree, and is available online to external students. The 4.5 unit course has the following graduate quality profile, with 22% of the course focussed on the development of ethical action and social responsibility within the social work profession.

Graduate quality

body of knowledge

lifelong learning

effective problem solving

work autonomously and collaboratively

ethical action and social responsibility

communicates effectively

international and cultural perspectives

Unit weighting

2.5

0.5

1.0

0.5

Face to face tutorial

In the face-to-face tutorial exercise, students would each be given a sheet of paper describing some basic facts and a story about an individual in society. Students were required to line up on the edge of a room and role-play that individual. The academic would then ask a series of questions to the role-players, designed to reveal their power in society. If they could answer yes to a question, they were to take one step forward, if the answer was no, they stayed stationary. As successive questions were asked, some roles would move a great distance, others would not move at all. The activity would then conclude with a discussion that revealed the different roles to the student group and how the role-players felt to be in high and low power positions in society, and how it felt to pass someone, and to be passed. The activity had been used successfully and had been found to be highly engaging and transforming, however large classes had made the activity unruly.

Bev had appreciated that group feedback was essential part of the learning process for her students and helped them build a memorable understanding of the experiences of being powerful and being powerless.

Online equivalent

In the online equivalent, the UniSAnet quiz was used. It was felt that if the activity needed to be for an individual, but it was important that they were able to have the experience of being in a group to help develop graduate quality 5 (social and ethical responsibility). Ten roles were created and 10 questions, to challenge the roles, were selected.

A grid was drawn and icons to represent the characters were prepared.

The feedback was adjusted to include graphics and scripting to allow feedback to be conditional to previous responses.

Points of interest

· Conditional feedback

· Images in feedback

· Journaling used to support learning before and after activity

The exercise was very effective as a teaching tool, however when assessing the journals, Bev realised that some students responded in superficial ways and she now plans to use a discussion group associated with the activity to challenge the students further.

Link to quiz http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/Quiz/StartQuiz.asp?SUBJECT=PD&QUIZ=782&SECTION=993&RESET=Reset+previous+attempts

Username: unisanet\pdguest and Password: guestpd for access

The activity

Imagine you are standing in a room of people from a broad spectrum of society. Everyone is brought to the edge of the room, with their backs up against one wall. You and the other people in the room are presented with a series of questions about your life, to which you can only answer yes or no. When anyone in the room is able to answer yes to a question, they take one step forward. When the answer is no, then the person must stay in place.

Diagrammatically this appears like this

The role that you are playing in this exercise is represented with the word Student. In the role you are a single mother of two children. You are in a lesbian relationship and have recently been released from prison.

Before you begin the exercise, think about your character's description. Decide the following about your character (note your responses in your workbook):
· Your name
· What age you are
· Whether you are employed
· What skills or education you have to obtain work
· How well you did at school
· What hobbies you have
· What cultural heritage do you identify with

While assuming this role, answer the following questions. After you have selected either yes or no, you can look at how your character has progressed in relation to the other people in the room, who will also be answering yes or no to the same questions. To do this, click on the Check button and look at the displayed image. You will then need to scroll down the screen and press the Next button to progress through the 10 questions. There will be an opportunity at the end of the exercise to find out the identities of the other characters in the room.

1. Are you able to obtain private health insurance?

a) Yes

b) No

No answer marked as correct

Feedback to option a

Feedback to option b

2. Are you able to embrace your partner in public?

a) Yes

b) No

Feedback to option a if option a was selected in question 1

Feedback to option a if option b was selected in question 1

The characters

Click on the name to find out more about the characters

	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	Q7	Q8	Q9	Q10	Total steps
STUDENT
Paul	yes					Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	6
Abdul											0
Kellee		Yes									1
Peter						Yes					1
Isobel	yes			Yes			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	6
Ron		Yes		Yes	yes	Yes	Yes				5
Betty				Yes	yes	Yes	Yes				4
Emily	yes			yes	yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes	7
Antonio	yes	Yes	yes	yes	yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	10
Jess		Yes				Yes					2

The QUESTIONS were

1. Are you able to obtain private health insurance?

2. Are you able to embrace your partner in public?

3. Are you able to adopt a child?

4. Are you able to gather in public places with friends without people being fearful or suspicious of you?

5. Are you able to switch on the TV and see a representation of your life and choices that portrays that lifestyle as positive?

6. Are you able to receive sympathy and support from your family?

7. Are you viewed as making a contribution to your community?

8. Are you likely to be able to obtain meaningful employment?

9. Are you able to access loans or credit card in your own name?

10. Are you able to take a holiday in another state?

Reflect on the following, and make notes in your workbook (you will be asked to transfer some of these onto the discussion page).

1. How did it feel when you were able to move forward a space?

2. How did it feel when you were not able to step forward?

3. What were you thinking about as you found yourself end up where you did?

4. Did the position afforded to you in the community benefit you or work against you?

5. How do you feel about some of the privileges and positions of power that those who finished ahead of you were able to enjoy?

6. What ‘isms’ or phobias played a role in your ability to move forward with others?

From this exercise what ideas, values and attributes are privileged within the community?

If you want to redo the Power Play activity online, you can, but click on the Reset Previous Attempts button on the this link. (password protected)

Return to the Studies in Family web site (password protected)

Return to the Studies in Family Course Home Page

Paul

I’m 19. Last year I got picked up by an AFL club in the draft and I’m earning great money and playing footy the best I’ve ever played. I come from a large Aboriginal family on the west coast. My family are really proud. The only hassle is they don’t know I like guys - I think that would kill my nanna if she ever found out.

Abdul

My name is Abdul and I am 28 years old. My wife was killed several years ago and I am raising my son and daughter alone. My children and I have recently been released from the Woomera Detention Centre. We moved to Adelaide to live with friends we made at Woomera. My visa will let me work, but I have not yet been able to find work. My English is not yet very good.

Kellee

I am 27 years old. I had heaps of trouble with my parents when I was younger. They had come to Australia from Vietnam, and they were really strict on us. In the end I couldn’t take it and I left home when I was 15 and went to live with friends. That didn’t work out and I ended up on the streets. I started using soon after (mainly speed) and when I was about 18 I got really sick. I have hepatitis C, so I have to take better care of myself now. I still use, but less often. I don’t have a job, but sometimes I do cash in hand work in a strip club. I share a flat with one of my girlfriends and we help each other out when one of us is short of money. She’s like my family now.

Peter

My name is Peter, I am 43 years old. I don’t have a girlfriend. I live with Max and John in a house at Frewville. Kerry and Sue look after us real good. They help us clean the house and take care of us. I don’t read, but I can write my name. When I was born the doctors said I didn’t get enough air and so it made my brain works a bit slow. I have seizures, but if I take my medicine they don’t come so often. I like football and I like being with my friends and my family.

Isobel

My name is Isobel, I’m 33 years old. I finished medicine about five years ago. I’ve been working in a country general practice for about the last three years. My girlfriend and I have recently bought a house and we would like to have a child in the next few years. My family are Jewish however, and they’ve had a few problems with my sexuality – it’s ok now as long as my girlfriend never visits and I don’t talk about her! Consequently we don’t see them very often. We love living in the country, and we’re both involved in lots of local organisations, but sometimes we feel a bit isolated.

Ron

I’m 47, married with two kids. We live in Spalding. I got retrenched about six years ago when a local firm shut down. There’s not much work around town. We’ve talked about moving to the city – that’d give the kids more opportunities to, but we wouldn’t get enough for the house to be able to buy in the city. Both our families live in nearby towns and I’m pretty involved with the local football club. My wife is an RDNS nurse, but she can only get part-time work. I worry how we might survive when she has to retire.

Betty

I’m 84, my husband died about 14 years ago. He was injured in the war and never really got over it. We had three children, but they’ve all moved away (two have got good jobs in Melbourne and the youngest moved to London with her husband). I live alone, but I’m not sure how much longer I can do that. I need a frame to get around these days. I go to church on Sunday and the pensioners club on Wednesday, but otherwise it gets pretty lonely.

Emily

I’m 19 years old. I do volunteer work for Animal Rescue – which doesn’t pay, but I live at home and my parents both work, so they help me out and pay for most things. I don’t have a partner, but I have lots of pets. I like to go to nightclubs and I play netball on Sundays. I did well at school and I’d like to do some more study – something to do with animals, but I want to have a year off school first.

Antonio

My name is Antonio. I am a second-generation Italian migrant. I was born in Australia. My parents worked really hard to put me through law school. I am a partner in a large Adelaide firm, married with two children. My wife is also a barrister and we have a nanny to help us care for the children.

Jess

My name is Jess. I’m 23. Left school in year 9. I’m on a work for the dole program at the moment, but I doubt that will lead to anything. I’m an Aboriginal person. My granny raised me and my brother. I have heaps of cousins near where I live, so there’s always someone to hang out with.